EbonyHerald Stores Ebony Herald News24
Related Articles
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Bayelsa State Council on Wednesday stage a peaceful Protest in Yenagoa against what they described as anti people policies of the federal government.
As early as 7am members of the organized labour converged at Amarata in the State capital carrying placards with various inscriptions such as “Too much surfering in Nigeria” “Petrol subsidy removal scam” “We demand immediate revival of all anti people policies “.
The protesters marched through Melford Okilo road,shanting solidarity songs down to Government House where the Bayelsa State NLC Chairman Comrade Barnabas Simon presented a letter to the Governor of Bayelsa State Senator Douye Diri for onward transmission to president Ahmed Bola Tinubu registering their protest to hardship his policies have brought upon them since he took over leadership of Nigeria.
In his address,the Bayelsa State Council Chairman Comrade Barnabas Simon said that the removal of fuel subsidy was hasty with no thought-out plan to cushion the effects on worker’s and other Nigerians already at the poverty belt.
He noted that every family feels the fanny of the hardship of government which has resulted in the astronomical increase in transportation,food,goods,and services, tuition fees, rising cost in accessing quality health care.
According to him, government ought to look out for the well being of it’s citizenry but such hope is dashed as today’s reality shows that the priority of government has shifted from that direction and that they are beginning to loose faith.
“Permit me to remind government that it was expected that the organise labour would have been consulted and brought on board the negotiation table to seek ways of ameliorating the effects that would come with subsidy removal on the ordinary Nigeria.
“Even after the inauguration of the Federal Government Committee on the matter the usual foot dragging became the other of the day.Consequently,we stand with our National leadership to embark on this peaceful protest rally to register our displeasure over the developments in recent months.
The governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri after receiving the letter said that he shared on their plight ,adding that there’s no doubt that the removal of subsidy has led and caused a lot of hike in the goods and services across the nation.
The governor,who was represented by the commissioner of Labour and Productivity Honourable Stanley Braboke Said his prosperity administration policies and programs are people oriented and for the purpose of bringing welfare,to provide conducive environment for Bayelsians to strive in all their endeavors.
Diri,while mentioning some of his administration policies and programs carried out to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal such as the lunching of the prosperity transport schemes expresses confident that he will do all it takes for Bayelsians not to surfer much even if it’s a federal government policies.
He said “The prosperity administration is already aware that the fuel subsidy removal which off course is not the making of the state government.You all know that petroleum Act is on exclusive legislative list , therefore state have no control over the price of petroleum product.
”otherwise you can attest during the flood saga in this state you see the effort his excellency put through the various committee to ensure that they brought fuel at a further subsidize prices to Bayelsians to enable them have fuel when at a point all our roads were cut off from the entire nation both from Portharcourt and Delta axis”.
